Sustainability
Kindness that starts with how we make things.
Here's something I've been thinking about: every hoodie that leaves our warehouse was made because someone actually wanted it — not because a factory ran a batch of a thousand hoping they'd sell. That's not an accident. It's a choice.
We partner with Printful, a print-on-demand company, which means we don't hold stock, we don't overproduce, and we don't end up with a warehouse full of things nobody wanted. We're not a zero-impact brand — no brand that manufactures and ships anything is. But we want to be honest with you about how our products are made, what that means for the planet, and where we're headed.
Right now, in numbers
Why it matters
Good choices don't stop at how you treat people.
Make Good Choices started as a mental health movement — a reminder that small choices, made with intention, ripple outward. That doesn't stop at how we treat ourselves and each other. It extends to how the things we buy are made.
Community care, extended
Overproduction and landfill waste aren't just an environmental issue — they're a symptom of the same "never enough" culture we push back against everywhere else. Making thoughtfully is community care, just aimed at a different problem.
Conscious consumption, without the guilt
We're not here to tell you what you "should" buy. We just believe you deserve to know how something is made before it lands on your doorstep — and to feel good about a purchase that was made because you wanted it, not because a factory needed to hit a quota.
Honesty, not performance
A brand that admits its limits is more trustworthy than one that claims to have none. So that's the approach we're taking here — specific facts, not vague "eco" language.
Our commitment
Three things we hold ourselves to
These aren't polished corporate values — they're what we actually try to do, every time someone places an order.
Made to order, not mass produced
Every product is printed after someone orders it. No stockpiles, no end-of-season landfill, no guessing games. It's a slower model than fast fashion — on purpose.
Responsible production over shortcuts
We work with a fulfilment partner, Printful, that's held to supplier compliance standards, low-impact printing methods, and published emissions reporting — not vague promises.
Quality over fast fashion
We'd rather you own one piece you actually wear for years than five you forget about by summer. Buy less, buy better — that's the whole philosophy.
Materials & production
Print-on-demand, in plain English
Nothing gets made until you hit "buy." Your order is sent to a Printful facility, printed or embroidered to order, and shipped — usually from a facility close to you. There's no factory somewhere guessing how many hoodies will sell this season.
The fashion industry wastes an estimated 21% of all textiles produced — largely from overproduction. Because we only make what's actually ordered, that particular kind of waste isn't part of how we work.
The inks and threads matter too. Designs are printed using direct-to-garment (DTG) printing with OEKO-TEX®-certified, vegan, water-based inks, free from harmful chemicals. Embroidery threads are 100% recycled polyester, also OEKO-TEX® certified. The equipment used creates almost no wastewater and runs on less energy than standard industry printers.
Worth knowing: fabric composition varies by product — you'll find the exact blend (cotton, cotton-poly, etc.) listed on each product page. Not everything in the range is organic or recycled fibre yet, and we're not going to pretend otherwise.
Did you know? Overproduction is one of the biggest hidden costs of the clothing industry. Making to order removes the guesswork — and the waste that comes with guessing wrong.
Packaging & shipping
What your order actually arrives in
Apparel ships in mailers made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic — a minimum of 70% PCR content globally, and 90–100% in North America. It's not glamorous, but it's one of the more meaningful, unglamorous choices in this whole process.
Because 86% of orders are fulfilled and shipped from a facility local to the customer, most parcels travel a shorter distance than a typical imported fast-fashion order.
What we're still working on
- Shipping still carries a carbon cost. We can't eliminate it — local fulfilment just reduces it.
- We don't currently offer a carbon offset programme. It's something we're exploring, not something we've solved.
- We're at the start of this journey, not the end of it.
Ethical supply chain
Who's actually making this stuff
We don't run our own factories — we work through Printful, our print-on-demand partner. So being transparent about their standards is part of being transparent about ours.
Supplier accountability
100% of Printful's major suppliers have signed its Vendor Compliance Manual, which sets standards for how facilities in the supply chain are expected to operate.
Nothing goes to waste, on purpose
Textile offcuts are repurposed, recycled, or donated instead of landfilled — including being turned into scrunchies and headbands. In 2023 alone, that saved 15,227 sq. ft. of fabric from going to waste.
Emissions, tracked and published
Printful published its greenhouse gas emissions inventory in December 2024. On average, each product carried a footprint of 5.68 kg CO₂e in 2023 — a number we'd rather see published than hidden.
Where the data comes from
We don't manufacture products ourselves, so we rely on our partner's published reporting. We link to the primary source below so you can read it yourself, not just take our word for it.
Product longevity
Buy less. Buy better. Wear it out.
The most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe that you keep wearing. Because everything we make is made to order — not mass produced to be replaced next season — we'd rather you buy one piece you'll love for years than five you'll forget about by winter.
That's not a guilt trip. It's just the maths: garments that last longer need replacing less often, and that's fewer things heading to landfill overall.
A few basics that help your gear last
- Wash cold and inside-out to protect prints and embroidery.
- Skip the tumble dryer when you can — air drying is kinder to fabric and print alike.
- Always check the care label on your specific item — fabric blends vary across the range.
Where we're headed
Progress so far, and what's next
We're not going to claim we've arrived. This is where we are today, and where we're trying to get to.
Achieved
- 86% of orders fulfilled and shipped locally
- 100% of major suppliers signed onto Printful's Vendor Compliance Manual
- 70–100% post-consumer recycled packaging, depending on region
- 15,227 sq. ft. of fabric offcuts saved from landfill in 2023
- First published greenhouse gas emissions inventory, December 2024
Next
- Exploring a carbon offset option for orders
- Growing the share of organic and recycled-fibre products in the range
- Publishing an annual update on this page, not a one-off
- Continuing to choose honesty over hype as this page evolves
Questions
Sustainability FAQs
What does "made to order" mean at Make Good Choices?
It means nothing is printed or produced until you actually place an order. We work with Printful, a print-on-demand partner, so there's no warehouse of pre-made stock sitting around waiting to sell — and nothing left over to end up in landfill.
Is print-on-demand more sustainable than traditional fashion manufacturing?
It avoids one of fast fashion's biggest problems: overproduction. The fashion industry wastes an estimated 21% of all textiles produced, largely from making more than actually sells. Because our products are made to order, that specific kind of waste isn't part of our model. We're not claiming zero impact — manufacturing and shipping always have a footprint — but it's a genuinely lower-waste way of doing things.
What packaging does Make Good Choices use?
Apparel ships in mailers made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic — a minimum of 70% PCR content globally, and 90–100% in North America, depending on the fulfilment location.
Are Make Good Choices products ethically made?
We work through Printful, whose major suppliers have all signed its Vendor Compliance Manual — a set of standards for how facilities in the supply chain should operate. We don't run our own factories, so we rely on and reference our partner's published standards and reporting rather than making claims we can't verify ourselves.
Does Make Good Choices offset its carbon footprint?
Not yet. We don't currently run a carbon offset programme — it's something we're actively exploring, not something we've solved. We'd rather tell you that plainly than claim to be "carbon neutral" without the evidence to back it up.
Where are Make Good Choices products made and shipped from?
Products are produced through Printful's global fulfilment network. Around 86% of orders are fulfilled and shipped from a facility local to the customer, which shortens the distance most parcels travel compared to importing stock from a single overseas warehouse.
What inks and threads are used to print Make Good Choices designs?
Designs are printed using direct-to-garment (DTG) printing with OEKO-TEX®-certified, vegan, water-based inks free from harmful chemicals. Embroidery threads are 100% recycled polyester, also OEKO-TEX® certified.
Is Make Good Choices a sustainable clothing brand in Australia?
We're an Australian brand built on a made-to-order model, which avoids overproduction — one of the fashion industry's biggest sources of waste. We're honest that we're not a zero-impact or fully "sustainable" brand in the broadest sense; not every product uses organic or recycled fabric yet, and shipping still carries a footprint. What we can offer is transparency about exactly how things are made, so you can decide what that's worth to you.
Your purchase, your impact
You're not just buying a hoodie.
You're buying something that was made because you wanted it. Nothing more, nothing less. That's a kinder way to make things — and it's one of the small choices that, together, add up to something bigger.
Make Good Choices partners with Printful for fulfilment. Data and sustainability practices referenced on this page are sourced from Printful's 2023 Sustainability Report and Sustainability & Responsibility page. Have questions? Reach out to Mik directly.